Shuttle tension means



y 6. 1935. s. LAPPAS I 2,008,456

SHUTTLE TENSION MEANS Fiied March 26, 1935 Patented July 16, 1935 SHUTTLE TENSION S George Lappas, Suncook, N. 11., asslgnor of onehalf to Samuel 0. Huggins, Suncook, N. H.

Application March 26, 1935, Serial No. 13,021

' Claims. (01; 139-217) This invention relates to a loom shuttle equipped with means for imposinga tension or frictional drag on the thread as thread is being withdrawn from theishuttle during the weaving 5 operation. It deals more particularly with aloom shuttle of the self-threading type, that is, a shuttle which is automatically threaded when the exhaustedv bobbin is ejected therefrom and a filled bobbin replaced therein by the usual bobbin-replenishing mechanism ,of the loom.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means for imposing a light substantially uniform tension or frictional dragon the thread as the thread passes from the bobbin to the shuttle eye while at the same time permitting the shuttle to be automatically threaded when an exhausted bobbin is replaced by a filled bobbin in the course of weaving. Another object is to provide thread-tensioning means which minimizes 20 tendency or chance for breakstooccur in the thread during the weaving operation even when the thread is fine or delicate, as for instance, when the thread is natural silk, cellulose acetate yarn, viscose-rayon yarn, etc., and which does 2 away with imperfect or damaged cloth on account of "shiner picks or shiner filler threads such asare sometimes developed in weaving silk cloth by reason of momentary or localized undue frictional tension imposed on the yarn by the yarn-tensioning means heretofore employed. Another object is to provide thread tensioning means as a shuttle part which is independent of the shuttle eye and which is removably posi tioned in the shuttle body in the path of the thread between the bobbin-chamber and the shuttle eye, wherefore, should the thread-tensioning means require adjustment, repair, or replacement, this can be done without need of re- 40 pairing the shuttle eye and thus tying up the in the shuttle body.

Figure 2 is a front'elevation of the device removed from the shuttle body.

Figure 3 depicts the device in perspective.

Figures 4 and 5 are sections on the line 44 of Figure 2 and show a thread having an irregular- 5 ity passing through the device, the irregularity appearing in different positions relative tothe device in the two figures.

or equivalent thread accumulation may be received. The head of the shuttle body may have removably fitted therein the usual metal eyepiece l3 to which the thread leads substantially straight from the bobbin and which is provided with a thread groove i4 open on top and having a side thread delivering opening IS. The threadtensioning device, of the present invention is removably positioned in the shuttle body between the chamber II and the eye l3, the thread from the bobbin l2 passing therethrough on its way into the eye. U V

i The thread-tensioning device of the present invention comprises a generally rectangular frame limade of suitable metal, the upper portion of which has a substantially central opening that leads down to a thread passage I'I substantially in line with the thread groove II in the eye l3,

threading of the eye andthe thread-tensioning device thus being simultaneously eifected. The shuttle body has a recess l8 therein of rectangular cross-section open on top and extending from the bobbin chamber i l to the rear end of the eye H, such recess being defined by side walls l9 and a base 20. The sidewalls iii are grooved at 2| to receive therein the side walls 22, 23 of the 40 frame IS, the base 24 of the frame being supported onthe base 20. The frame it makes a nice sliding fit in the recesses 2| and so can readily be inserted into. or removed from'the shuttle body in much the same way as the eye it.

The side wall 22 of the frame It takes a gooseneck turn-25 at its upper end portion and projects downwardly as a vertical leg 26 whose lower extremity is shown spaced from the base 24 of the ,irame. The leg 26 is provided with an elongated slot 21 passing laterally therethrough beginning slightly above the lower extremity of such leg and continuing upwardly to the gooseneck turn 25. This slot serves to divide the leg 26 into spaced thread-engaging portions 26c and 25b, as

best shown in Figures 4 and 5. The side wall 23 of the frame has an arched upper portion 28 from which projects downwardly a pivoted substantially vertical leg 29 which, together with the fixed leg 26, is definitive of the thread passage ll open at its top. The leg 29 is shown as being ,a cylindrical wire, which is preferably of a diameter slightly less than the width of the slot 21. The upper end portion of the wire may be pivotally secured to the arched portion 28 as by being bent over at 30 and being suspended by such bend from a pin 3! bridging a slot 32 formed inwardly of the end of such arched portion. The upper end portion of the wire may project downwardly from the pin 3| and terminate as a hook element 32 immediately below the bend 30, which element may be engaged by the upper end of a tension spring 43 whose lower end engages under a pin 34 projecting from a lower corner of the frame. The lower end portion of the pivoted vertical leg or wire 29 takes the form of a foot 33 which is shown projecting substantially horizontally through the slot 21 in the fixed vertical leg 26, such foot 33 constituting a base for the thread passage I! and thus preventing the thread from dropping out of frictional contact with the wire and the inner or friction-imposing surfaces of the leg 26. The thread-engaging portion 260, is preferably rounded off at its thread ingress corner 26c; and the thread-engaging portion 26b is likewise preferably rounded off at its thread egress corner 26d. So, too, both these portions 26a and 26b are preferably rounded off at their confronting or inner corners 26c. The tension on the spring 43'is such as to impose the desired frictional drag on the thread as it passes through the thread passage ll.

Should there be a knot is or other enlarged irregularity in the thread t as the thread is being drawn through the tension device and the shuttle eye, when such knot or other enlarged irregularity has passed from the position shown inrFigure 4 in between the pivoted vertical leg 29 and the fixed vertical leg 26, as shown in Figure 5, the leg 29 is caused to swing momentarily outwardly so as to permit the knot or other irregularity to pass without breakage of the thread and without the imposition of significantly greater frictional resistance thereon. By having the leg 29 of cylindrical cross section and by finishing the leg portions 26a and 2% with the appropriate curvature at their surfaces past which the thread moves, including thread ingress and thread egress surfaces, momentary stoppage or high frictional resistance on the thread, such as might cause its breakage, is avoided, since the slot in between the friction-imposing portions 26a and 26b affords the desired momentary relief or escape from any undue or excessive frictional'resistance that might otherwise be exerted on the thread at the knot or enlarged irregularity. In other words, the light frictional resistance imposed on thethread is divided'into two stages,

relief being provided between the two stages so that thread breakage will not tend to occur.

In those instances when it is desired to subdivide the frictional resistance to be imposed on the thread in more than two stages, the thread tension device may be constructed with multiple pivoted legs pressing the thread yieldingly into frictional engagement with a multiple-slotted fixed leg. Thus, as shown in Figure 6, the frame 35 of the tension device may be of considerable thickness, so that its fixed vertical leg 36 against whose inner surface the thread drags frictionally element 32.

in its passage to the shuttle eye may be provided with a plurality of spaced vertical slots 31, each of which serves a purpose similar to that of the single slot 21 provided in the unit it of Figure 2. Thus, three such slots 31 may be provided in the fixed vertical leg 36; and associated with the frame 35 may be three pivoted vertical legs 38 each of which may be independently pivotally suspended from the arched portion 39 of the frame and may be provided with a tension spring 40 constantly. keeping the thread in yielding frictional engagement with the inner surface of the leg 36. The thread-friction device shown in Figure 6 thus has six frictional stages and three relief slots for knots or other enlarged irregularities in the thread. It is obvious, however, that other tension devices embodying the present invention may be made with four frictional and two relief slots and with further multiples of the two frictional stages and the single relief slot provided by the unit l6 of Figure 2.

Rather than using a tension spring for creating the desired tension or yielding frictional resistance to the withdrawal of thethread from the shuttle, suitable mechanical ,equivalents of a tension spring might be employed. Thus, the desired restriction in the thread pa'ssage ll of the tension device may be created by causing the pivoted leg 29 .or the multiple pivoted legs 38 to force the thread yieidingly into frictional contact with the inner or friction-imposing surfaces of the fixed vertical leg 26 or legs 36, as the case may be, through a weight, elastic band, leaf spring, or the like, broughtto act suitably and constantly on the pivoted leg, as at its hook I claim: p a I v 1. In a self-threading loom shuttle having a bobbin chamber and an eye to which the thread leads substantially straight from the bobbin and which is provided with a thread groove open on top'and having a side thread delivery opening, a thread-tensioning device positioned in said shuttle in the path of said thread between said chamber and said eye, said device comprising a frame inclusive of a .fixed substantially vertical leg and a pivoted substantially vertical leg both of which legs are definitive of a restricted substantially vertical thread passage open at its top and substantially in line with the thread groove in said eye, said fixed vertical leg being longitudinally slotted to receive thread irregularities therein, said pivoted leg being of cylindrical cross section and having a foot portion projecting laterally through the slot in said fixed leg, and means constantly acting on said pivoted leg to cause it to force said thread frictionally and yieidingly against said fixed vertical leg.

2. In a self-threading loom shuttle having a bobbin chamber and an eye to which the thread leads substantially straight from the bobbin and which is provided with a thread groove open on top and having a side thread delivery opening, of a thread-tensioning device removably positioned in said shuttle in the'path of said thread between said chamber and said eye, said device comprising a frame inclusive of a fixed substantially vertical leg and a pivoted substantially vertical leg both of which are definitive of a restricted substantially vertical thread passage open at its top and substantially in line with the thread groove in said eye, said fixed vertical leg being longitudinally slotted to receive thread irregularities therein and being rounded off at those surfaces past which the thread moves, including thread ingress and thread egress surfaces, said pivoted vertical leg being of cylindrical cross section, being pivotally supported at its upper end on said frame, and having a foot portion projecting laterally through the slot in said fixed leg and serving as the base for said restricted thread passage, and means constantly acting on said pivoted leg to cause it to press said thread frictionally and yieldingly against said fixed vertical leg.

3. In a self-threading loom shuttle having a bobbin chamber and an eye to which the thread leads substantially straight from the bobbin and which is provided with a thread groove open on top and having a side thread delivery, of a threadtensioning device positioned in said shuttle in between said chamber and said eye, said device comprising a generally rectangular frame the upper portion of which has an opening substantially centrally thereof leading down athread passage substantially in line with the thread groove in said eye, said passage being defined by fixed and pivoted substantially vertical legs projecting downwardly from the upper portion of said frame, said fixed vertical leg being longitudinally slotted to receive thread irregularities thereinand being rounded off at these surfaces past which the thread moves, including thread ingress and thread egress surfaces; said pivoted vertical leg being of cylindrical cross section and of a diameter slightly less than the width of said slot, being pivotally supported at its upper end portion on the upperportion of said frame, and having a foot portion by which said thread may be stopped projecting laterally through the slot in said fixed leg; the upper portion of said frame including a pivot pin over which said pivoted leg is bent and said pivoted leg terminating in a hook portion below said pin, and

a tension spring engaging said hook portion and said frame and constantly acting on said pivoted leg to cause it to press said thread yieldingly and, frictionally against said fixed vertical leg.

4. In a loom shuttle, thread-tensioning means and together with said wall defining a thread passage, the upper portion of said element being pivoted and the lower portion projecting loosely through said slot, and means acting on said element to cause it to press thread passing substantially horizontally through said passage frictionally and-yieldingly against said friction-imposing portions.

5. In a 100m shuttle, thread-tensioning means through which the thread passes as it is being withdrawn from the shuttle, said means comprising a substantially vertical wall longitudinally slotted to present spaced successive friction-imposing portions, the surfaces of said portions being rounded off, a substantially vertical wire of cylindrical cross section arranged substantially opposite to said slot and together with said wall defining a substantially vertical thread passage open at its top, the upper portion of said wire being pivoted and the lower portionproject ing loosely through said slot, and means acting on said wire to cause it to press thread passing substantially horizontally through said passage frictionally and yieldingly against said frictionimposing portions.

GEORGE LAPPAS. 

